Value-based presentation of user-selectable computing actions

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods for proposing actions to a user to select based on the value of the actions to the user are provided. In one aspect, a method includes receiving content selected by a user from a device, and identifying a plurality of actions to be executed that are associated with a referent entity identified from the selected content, wherein each action has an associated value to the user. The method also includes providing, for display, an identifier of each of at least a subset of the actions based on their associated values. Systems and machine-readable storage media are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method for proposing actions to a user to select based on the value of the actions to the user, the method comprising:
 receiving content selected by a user from a device; 
 identifying a plurality of actions to be executed that are associated with a referent entity identified from the selected content, wherein each action has an associated value to the user and wherein the associated value for at least two of the plurality of actions is a function of an estimated average amount of time it takes a user to manually perform each of the at least two actions; and 
 providing, for display, an identifier of each of at least a subset of the actions based on their associated values. 
 
     
     
       2. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein an identifier for an action having an associated value below a predetermined threshold is not provided for display. 
     
     
       3. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier for each action comprises text provided for display in a list format. 
     
     
       4. The computer-implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the identifiers for each action in the list are displayed in decreasing order of their associated values. 
     
     
       5. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated average amount of time is calculated using user data. 
     
     
       6. The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the estimated average amount of time is periodically updated using recent user data. 
     
     
       7. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the estimated average amount of time for at least one action is a predetermined value. 
     
     
       8. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of actions is further weighted based on a predetermined relevance of the action to the referent entity. 
     
     
       9. The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the associated value for at least one action is based on a frequency of times a user has selected the action. 
     
     
       10. A system for proposing actions to a user to select based on the value of the actions to the user, the system comprising:
 a memory comprising user-selectable content; and 
 a processor configured to:
 receive content selected by a user from a device; 
 identify a plurality of actions to be executed that are associated with a referent entity identified from the selected content, wherein each action has an associated value to the user and wherein the associated value for at least two of the plurality of actions is a function of an estimated average amount of time it takes a user to manually perform each of the at least two actions; and 
 provide, for display, an identifier of each of at least a subset of the actions based on their associated values. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein an identifier for an action having an associated value below a predetermined threshold is not provided for display. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the identifier for each action comprises text provided for display in a list format. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to provide, for display, identifiers for each action in the list in decreasing order of their associated values. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to calculate the estimated average amount of time using user data. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to periodically update the estimated average amount of time using recent user data. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the estimated average amount of time for at least one action is a predetermined value. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of actions is further weighted based on a predetermined relevance of the action to the referent entity. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the associated value for at least one action is based on a frequency of times a user has selected the action. 
     
     
       19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for proposing actions to a user to select based on the value of the actions to the user, the method comprising:
 receiving content selected by a user from a device; 
 identifying a plurality of actions to be executed that are associated with a referent entity identified from the selected content, wherein each action has an associated value to the user that is a function of an estimated average amount of time it takes a user to manually perform the action; and 
 providing, for display, in a list format at least one of a text or image that identifies each of at least a subset of the actions, 
 wherein the text or image for each action in the list is displayed in decreasing order of the associated value for the action.